Posted on July 24th, 2017 - Fiona
With a large family we can pile through yogurt here each week. I love the plain Greek yogurt for cooking and making dips and the traditional Greek dish Tzatziki and the kids love the flavoured yogurts as snacks after school. I have always fancied making my own yogurt but had no idea where to begin. Growing the pro-biotic culture and managing this safely has always put me off trying. Then I discovered EasiYo which does what it says in the name – it allows you to make yogurt at home the easy way. No mess, no ingredients needed, just add water and wait. Bingo, I had to give it a go and you can too by entering to win an EasiYo yogurt maker and two complimentary sachets of flavoured yogurt to get you started. Read on to find out more.
EasiYo really is so simple you’ll be amazed
Follow the carefully written instructions to ensure you have your water in the correct quantities and the correct temperature and the rest is easy peasy. This would be a great activity to do with children. They will love making it with you and it stores in the fridge just like fresh yogurt bought at the supermarket.
Check out my under 1 minute video to making super quick super easy yogurt.
What we thought of the yogurt maker and yogurt
To be fair I say super quick as the involvement in making it is just minutes. However it does need to set for 8 – 12 hours before it is ready to eat so you need to prepare this one in advance. We made ours in the evening and left it to set overnight. The yogurt takes on a set consistency at first; we stirred ours to give a creamy smooth consistency very like Greek yogurt. We tested the mango and coconut first which I liked but the kids didn’t like the bits of coconut in it. They loved the raspberry and lemon which is completely smooth. There are variety of flavours to choose from when you buy the sachets so there is one for everyone.
Need to know facts
| Brand | EasiYo.com |
| Yogurt maker | No moving or electronic parts Stylish design. Sturdy construction. Easy to clean and store. |
| RSP Yogurt maker | £16.75 |
| RSP yogurt sachets | 1kg £2.60 – £.330 3*500g sachets £4.99 – £5.75 |
| Yogurt features | Variety of flavours All are gluten free with no artificial colours or flavours |
| Stockists | EasiYo on line shop Hobbycraft Holland & Barrett Lakeland |
Win your EasiYo Yogurt maker & Two Sachets with Coombe Mill
If you fancy making yogurt yourself with EasiYo then why not enter to win here. Just follow the instructions below. Good luck to all taking part.
EasiYo Yogurt Maker and 2 Yogurt sachets
Disclosure
I was sent my EasiYo yogurt maker for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Posted on July 22nd, 2017 - Fiona
Guy is our resident fishing expert here on the farm. We have two beautiful lakes that often feature in my photos but I rarely mention the fishing lesson opportunity here too. For a bargain £10 Guy will give you an hour’s tuition and set up a beginners rod for you to use for the lesson and keep afterwards. It is a system that has worked well over the past few years. It gives Guy a little pocket money while teaching his favourite hobby to others.
Having arranged one such lesson for after the Sunday feed run last week I decided to creep on in with my camera to capture a few photos of the lesson in progress. Despite a dry feed run the drizzle had set in so Guy sensibly set up with his Umbrella for them both. A family just the week prior had caught an enormous fish and the challenge was on. They struck up quite a rapport together talking bait and impressive catches while practicing casting.
Setting up for a fishing lesson
Patiently waiting for a catch
Could this be the catch of the day?
I left them too their fishing lesson convinced there would be no catch this time despite seeing many fish circling the line in the water. Guy returned home looking quite stunned with the rod they had been using in two pieces. It would appear they were on the cusp of beating last week’s giant catch, except our 22lb plus carp was clearly too much for the beginners line. When they tried to real her in it simply snapped. Even the hook had bent itself straight allowing the carp to slip back into the lake. Guy did give the young lad another rod to keep and practice his new found hobby during the week and he proudly showed me a photo on his phone of his 4lb catch.
Posted on July 21st, 2017 - Fiona
Welcome to Country Kids from Coombe Mill
Country Kids is the original outdoor family fun linky designed to:
“Encourage family fun outdoors, in an age where technology and screens are such a draw to a sedentary indoor life”
Welcome back if you are a regular to Country Kids and if you are new please join in. You will find plenty of inspiration for enjoying outdoor space and please do share your own adventures. We support the National Trust 100 things to do before you are 11¾ along with all other ideas for family fun outside.
Let the summer holidays begin!
So my kids broke up from school yesterday and are super excited for the holidays stretching ahead of them. It is a time for them to chill out, forget being cool and enjoy family time and summer fun here on the farm. I hope we will have many adventures together over the coming weeks. Whether you are dreading the holidays ahead or looking forward to them, some outdoor time home or away makes each day an adventure. I hope you’ll share yours on the link up below.
Guidelines for Joining in:
- Post must be predominantly outdoors such as in the garden, the park, the woods or the beach with crafting, learning, exploring or playing.
- Despite the title, both countryside and urban outdoor adventures are welcome.
- Unheated covered areas like a barn or tent count as outdoors.
- Please comment on my host post and a minimum of 3 others of your choice.
- If you use #CountryKids when commenting the post owner will know where your found them and hopefully come back to visit your post.
- Please take my badge, without it you won’t be considered for winning the lovely Rockfish Wellies.
- Linked posts should be written and made live within the last 2 months.
- I understand sometimes you need to do catch up posts and write about something from a couple of months ago but the publish date should be within 2 months.
- By joining in with Country Kids you’re giving me permission to email you weekly as a reminder.
- There is no restriction on the number of posts that can be linked up, however please be sensible, if you have more than 3 consider linking over a few weeks.
My top commenters from last week:
- Joy from Pinkoddy who commented on 19 posts.
- Emma from Bubba Blue and Me & Naomi from Trips with a Tot who commented on 14 posts.
- Mary from Over 40 and a Mum to One who commented on 13 posts.
We have no bloggers link dumping this week, although do remember I comment count on Thursday after lunch so get your comments in before then if you want them to be counted.
Rockfish kindly sponsor Country Kids
Win a pair of wellies from Rockfish Monthly
I am delighted to have Rockfish as the sponsor for Country Kids. Rockfish are a local Cornish company specializing in stylish quality wellingtons for all the family. We have been offering their country wellies in our borrow room here on the farm for over a year and they are always popular for their style, comfort and durability.
Each week my favourite #CountryKids posts, which include my badge or a link back here, will be considered for a free pair of Rockfish Wellies at the end of the month; the perfect way to enjoy the outdoors whatever the weather throws your way. Keep your posts coming, it could be you winning next!
For more more information on the Rockfish Wellies on offer with us and terms and conditions to win see here.
Favourite posts from last week added to the shortlist for winning the July Rockfish Wellies:
Top Commenter: Joy from Pinkoddy
I love the colour and fun of a day at the Cornbury music festival from Bubbablue and Me
My Two Mums supports an important day with the National Trust
Country Kids Communities
I’d love you to join me:
Pin on the Pinterest Board Just ask for an invite to pin and include Country Kids on your pins for me to stop by on your boards too.
Follow Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays’s board Country Kids from Coombe Mill on Pinterest.
Join the growing Country Kids Instagram Community with #CountryKidsFun.
I'll like and comment on all and share my favourites from the week with a tag on a Friday on Instagram and Twitter. With over 5075 posts this community is flourishing with outdoors photos.
My favourite photos from the week came from @calunica, @wildcountryhome, @mytwomums & @sophieblovett. Please do check out these lovely folk on Instagram if you are not already following
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Posted on July 21st, 2017 - Fiona
I was due to review a lovely set of owl themed disposable party ware and decided it would be perfect as part of Activity Hour. Faced with the hottest day of the year and a group of 1 – 4 year olds, I was keen to come up with an afternoon that would be easy to follow and keep us refreshed and cool. An owl picnic down by the stream would be just perfect.
Making Toilet Roll Owls
We laid the craft rugs out on the grass in the shade and I I tipped out a bag of painted toilet rolls. The children each picked a coloured tube and by bending the top inwards created perfect owl shapes. However to bring our owls they needed a painted face. This required a paintbrush much finer than any I had. Nature was my answer. We used some thick stalks from coniferous plants as paint brushes. These were perfect for the fine motor skills needed to paint the face and wings.
Designing nature owls
Setting our owls aside to dry in the sun we moved onto cardboard owl cut outs with fun streamers.
I had a nature walk planned that would take us to our picnic spot and the children were challenged with finding nature along the way to make the features on their owl. I put some double sided sticky tape where the eyes, beak and wings would go and left them to choose the foilage that would work best. It was a lovely challenge to distract little legs that were flagging in the heat of the afternoon.
An Owl Picnic and Play
On reaching our picnic spot the children wasted no time heading straight into the water for a paddle and cool down giving me time to set up the owl picnic.
Refreshed and cool the colourful party pack colours drew the children over. They each enjoyed cakes and squash under the natural canopy of the trees and loved their little party bags complete with owl accessories.
Refueled from their owl picnic they drifted back to the stream and tested out the rope swing.
It was the perfect shady spot for the children to play and I left them all here with their parents enjoying each others company long after activity hour had ended.
Posted on July 17th, 2017 - Fiona
If the thought of a looming birthday sends you into a panic of what, where and how to entertain the kids without breaking the bank then I may have the answer. You might not think there is such a thing as easy kids birthday parties but with a little careful shopping and a few well planned activities parties can be great fun on a budget. We teamed up with Party bags and supplies to share their range and a few clever ideas to turn what they offer into a whole heap of easy party fun. Read on to find out how and have your chance to win a voucher for £30 to spend at their online website.
Theme your party to match the party packs
Here at the farm we hold a party a week with crafts and activities for the children staying here. Just follow my Country Kids Category on the blog for lots of simple creative ideas using nature and throw away items for themed party fun. They would all work well for a garden party or an outing to the local park or woods. Check out my post on pirate games and crafts for example and team it with party supplies pirate party pack
Ideas for easy kids birthday parties
Last month we tried the owl themed party pack and teamed it with an afternoon of owl themed crafts and games. As we took our picnic through the woods on the farm we used the party table cloth as a blanket which worked a treat.
The possibilities are endless with so many themed and branded characters to choose from the party supplies and bags website. All you need to add is the food and the crafts and games, the party kit takes care of the rest right down to the contents for the party bags.
Need to know facts for the Party packs
| Supplier |
Party Bags and Supplies |
| RRP |
£28.99 for this set |
| P&P |
£3.99 or free with orders over £50 |
| Suitable for |
Up to 8 Guests, aged 3+ |
| Pack Contents |
- 8 Cups
- 8 Plates
- 16 Napkins
- 1 Tablecover
- 8 Owl Pal filled party bags each containing:
- 1 Owl Notebook (with shadow print throughout)
- 1 Owl Ruler
- 1 Owl Pencil
- 1 Owl Rubber
- 1 Owl Pencil Sharpener
- 1 Packet of Rainbow Drops.
Party bags contents vary by theme, this is what’s included in the Owl Pal themed bag.
|
Win £30 to spend with Party bags and Supplies for your next party
If easy kids birthday parties appeals to you why not take the stress out of the day without breaking the bank why not enter to win £30 so spend on a party pack of your choice. Simply follow the instructions below. Good luck to all taking part.
£30 to spend at Party Bags and Supplies
Disclosure
We were sent our owl themed party pack for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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